Singer/songwriter and instrumentalist Emilie Autumn is an eccentric, musical marvel who's been shaping her style since the age of two. Born September 22, 1979 to a seamstress mother, Autumn started reading notes before learning the alphabet. By age four, she was playing the violin. Her young life was spent in concert halls across Europe and North America, but Autumn grew bored of formal education before her teenage years set in. She attended the well-respected Colburn School of Performing Arts by her 10th birthday and there, she befriended famed violinist Nigel Kennedy. Under his guidance, Autumn experimented with an improvisational playing style with her piano and violin. She also immersed herself in literature, history and art as well as medieval, renaissance and baroque music. Her unique approach in mixing jazz and electronics impressed Indiana University to offer her a spot in their prominent music program too, but her stay was brief. A vibrant and rebellious teenager, Autumn was experimenting with fashion and her choice of corsets and combat boots didn't over with university officials, so she left. br /br /Alas, Autumn continued working. She was an ultimate overachiever - she scored a cla**ical recording deal before she turned 21. She also formed the renaissance rock group, Ravensong. Ravensong played in and around Hollywood clubs during the late 1990s. During this time, Autumn developed into a cabaret singer of sorts while molding rock symphonies all her own. She issued a compilation of cla**ical arrangements, On A Day: Music For Violin & Continuo in 1997 when she was only 17. Four years later, Autumn returned with the oddly beautiful Chambermaid EP. Her 2001 recording By the Sword appeared in 2002 as a charity single benefiting the events of 9/11. Her biggest moment came in mid-2002 when she released her debut studio full-length, Enchant. ~ MacKenzie Wilsonbr /br /, All Music Guide